Three schools in the Jackson County area are among 123 identified by the state today as “beating the odds” with their students’ academic performance last school year.

They are Chelsea and Springport high schools and Western’s Parma Elementary School.

The Michigan Department of Education recognizes schools that are outperforming other schools with similar demographics or risk factors. The state used two studies to identify the schools.

Parma Elementary School did well on a study that identified 60 schools that are performing above their predicted levels based on risk factors such as the percentage of low-income and minority students and the percentage of students who have disabilities or are learning English as a second language.

Chelsea and Springport high schools were among 83 schools identified in the other study as performing better than schools with similar demographics.

The state measured schools’ achievement based on their performance on Michigan’s standardized tests and whether their test scores improved. Twenty schools made both lists.